While it is true that they have not traced these mistakes to their source in the lack of clear political ideas in Irish Republicanism, they are far more advanced in both their military and political thinking than the IRA of the late "30s, which launched the last, disastrous bombing campaign in Britain.
The fact that over the last three years such a campaign has not been launched suggests that the Provos understand the likely results of a repeat of 1939: anti-Irish hysteria leading to wider support for the troops. It seems safe to assume therefore, that if they have decided on military action in Britain it will be a limited campaign only, designed to tide them over until regroupment in the North is completed.
The car bombings in Dublin last December and the activities of the Littlejohns reveal the tactics being used by British Intelligence: terror is directed at civilians and then blamed on the Provos.
While the Provisional IRA probably did launch a campaign of incendiary bombing in West End stores during the August shopping spree, as a means oi demonstrating military capacity, British Intelligence may well have got in on the act with its own campaign of parcel and letter bombs in order to promote confusion and anti-Irish hysteria.